Make sure you eat enough!
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tishtash77
Posts: 430 Member
I just wanted to post this as a gentle hug and reminder that while we all have a load of weight to lose, the answer imo is not to go down to a daily calorie amount you cannot sustain in the long run. I think that might be why some of us have failed in the past. MFP gives you a nudge if you eat less than 1200? cals a day and I think we should all stay aware of that. Also there is quite a lot of discussion that suggests dropping too low too soon gets your body thinking it is in starvation mode so it will eventually mean you stop losing weight. The answer is not to drop cals but to eat more. Of course this is just my opinion on what I have read. I am open to discussion about it, I just want all of you to succeed! x
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I agree with that to a certain extent. But then I always get to thinking about the weight loss surgery patients who can't eat but a half cup of food at a time and they seem to keep losing. I try to keep it between 1100-1500 a day. I have a big range so I don't beat myself up if I go up to 1500. I always go back and forth. I know if I don't lose at a good pace, I get frustrated and give up but and the more I eat, the more hungry I get. However, obviously I always gain the weight back so my way obviously doesn't work.0
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First of all, thank you for watching out for everyone and having their best interests at heart!
All I can say on this, is that I've done a lot of research on this subject before I started an intermittent fasting 5:2 diet. From what I've read, there are a lot of misconceptions about "starvation mode" and reducing calories. I won't bore you with all the details..Just do a search online for starvation mode myth or starvation mode misconceptions, and I'm sure there will be a plethora of things that pop up discussing this. The short of it is, in order to get into true starvation mode, you'd have to be eating 50% of your calories every day for an extended period of time... not just skipping a meal here or there or eating a little bit under your calories now and then. And even when you go into starvation mode, apparently your metabolism slows a little bit, but not enough to offset the reduction in calories. Like anything else where there is no concrete proof either way, this is something heavily debated by experts and non-experts, so we all have to make up our own minds based on the research we read, and based on our own personal experience as everyone's body reacts differently to different things.
I do think it is better, on the whole, that we try to meet our caloric goals, and I'm definitely NOT advocating that anyone severely limit their caloric intake. I just think there might be a bit of a misconception overall about how the whole starvation mode thing works, but again, that is only my opinion based on what I've been reading. (and like I said, there is plenty out there that argues both sides)
Bottom line - we need to strive to have a healthy relationship with our food and be self aware, listening to our body's cues.0 -
First and foremost listen to your body. When I started MFP I was at 1680 calories per day and did not eat my exercise calories. As I lost weight, MFP lowered my calorie goal down to 1230. I was eating between 1100 and 1300 most days. At that level I started to feel hungry, tired and was not recovering from my workouts as quickly.
I calculated my total daily energy expenditure and discovered I was burning between 2700 and 2800 calorie per day. I was eating less than half the calories my body needed, and my body was letting me know it was not enough. I slowly increased to 1700 calories per day where I have stayed for a while. I have continued to lose an average of 2lbs per week, but I feel much better at 1700 calories than I did at 1200.
Most of the research I've read says a 1% per week weight loss is the maximum we should aim for for a healthy loss. When you are morbidly obese that can be more than the 2lbs per week that MFP says should be the maximum. Set your calorie goals appropriately.
Yes bariatric surgery patients often eat less than 1200 calories per day. They are also on a medically supervised diet and take lots of supplements to maintain their health. At this point I have lost more than I did after bariatric surgery in the mid-90s at about the same pace. What I am doing now is much more sustainable and I have confidence that I am learning skills that will help me maintain when I reach my goal.0 -
Interesting discussion! I am curious and will read about the starvation mode myth. My body is weird--I seem to be on cycles of starving and feeding--two or three days of no appetite at all and then two b or three days of being ravenous. It doesn't matter whether I eat, overeat, or starve, those cycles remain the same, and I wonder if intermittent fasting might be a good fit for me. Will discuss with my doctor.0
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I struggle with this. I rarely seem to feel truly hungry. And now that I'm resisting emotional eating and mindless snacking, I don' always eat quite as much as I should.
I do always make sure to stay above 1200 a day. Sometimes it doesn't look like it because I log breastfeeding and don't always eat those back.0 -
Karen, as you start reading up on intermittent fasting, please keep in mind that from what I've read, it may not work as well for some women, and women tend to do better on 5:2 fasting (fasting for a long period of up to 24 hours two days a week and eating normally the other two) than the window fasting (where you have a window of eating each day and don't eat outside of that window - so shorter fasting period every day). And if you do a 24 hour fast (like I do on Mondays and Thursdays), it doesn't mean you don't eat all day. You eat dinner the day before and then don't eat until the same time (dinner) on your fast day. Also, from what I've seen, women tend to do better if they get some kind of good fat to start their day on a fasting day. I usually take some extra virgin coconut oil.
It's definitely a good idea to talk to your doc. Some are for it, and some are against it, and not everyone will respond to the same diet, the same way. It may work for you, but it might not. I'm not even sure that in the long run it will be right for me. I just know that so far, I am doing well (but it's only been two weeks for me)Interesting discussion! I am curious and will read about the starvation mode myth. My body is weird--I seem to be on cycles of starving and feeding--two or three days of no appetite at all and then two b or three days of being ravenous. It doesn't matter whether I eat, overeat, or starve, those cycles remain the same, and I wonder if intermittent fasting might be a good fit for me. Will discuss with my doctor.0 -
Starvation would never work for me. I am hypoglycemic and my blood sugar would take a dive. It's doing much better on the healthy eating plan.. more stabilized than if I binge out on stupid stuff like chocolate, cake and ice cream.0
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I'm always surprised when i read someone is eating 1100-1200 calories per day and here I am with my 2,080, though i realize we are all different weights, heights and genders. But its been working for me, and any sense of hunger is well controlled (unless i'm back in my delaying behavior). I usually eat back around 60% of my exercise calories since I go by MFP's calculations and thats what they intend you to do. I assume the other 40% is off since the calorie burn calculations are always somewhat off. I don't always eat them back, it just depends on how i feel and if i'm hungry. Anyway, its been working for me and as soon as I know my full progress and can update i'm sure the calorie count will come down again.
The fitbit has been helpful since it recalculates my daily activity level and updates my fitness pal. The difficult part of the calculation is knowing your daily activity level. Mine is sedentary but ti can swing widely from day to day. With the fitbit it readjusts my daily calorie intake based on what my actual activity level is rather then an average.0 -
I agree. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Especially if you are new to calorie restricting. It is better to cut it down a little at a time and see what works. My first diet was when I was 15 and because I was still a teen, I got the extra 300 calories. I guess that has always stuck in the back of my head because that seems to be my cut off number. MFP put me at 1680 tho.0
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Hello-
I am working with a Personal Trainer and a Nutritionist and she echos this point...I am eating every three hours and making sure to include protein with every meal.. .Not just a protein diet though...for example:
AM (within an hour of waking) at least 20g protein
Snack (3hrs later) at least 10 g protein
Lunch at least 20 g protein
Snack (3 hours later) at least 10 g protein
Dinner at least 20 g protein
The AM is the hardest for me because I am not hungry so I have been having a protein shake and then my "breakfast" at the first snack. I am often not hungry when I am to be eating but eat anyway to keep my metabolism going. My goal is 1500 cal a day and I don't enter any of my exercise into MFP (per her recommendation) even though I am exercising 6 days per week. Weekends I pretty much eat whatever I want and just stop when I am full. I also don't worry about snacking or anything on weekends because I am not a "snacker" naturally so it all balances out. Usually I end up with a large breakfast and a large early dinner. That is why my daily goal during the week is only 1500 per day. If I was following an eating plan on the weekend as well it could be closer to 1800 per day. I am averaging about 1-2 lbs per week BUT I can easily stick to this and can see this as a lifestyle change which is what I really want...
I did the 5:2 diet for over a year and lost 6 lbs total...that was it Tried the 8 hour and gained 6 lbs. Tried Medithin which gets you down to 600 cal a day with vitamins etc and saw rapid loss but hated life and wanted to eat real food not fake substitutes...0 -
And that is why I make sure to say that you need to find what works for you! We all have different bodies that have different needs that don't all process foods the same way. There are plenty of people who will have great success and failure on any given diet. There will also always be negative and positive research on any given way of eating depending upon where you look and who you ask. We just have to try to keep ourselves educated on the pluses and minuses of what plan we are attempting and self evaluate to know when something is or isn't right for us.0
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I definitely agree with all of you. All of our bodies are so different and lose weight differently. I am one of those that is finding it hard to fit in enough calories most days. I just do not get hungry so have to make myself eat. Who would have ever thought that lol? Honestly alot of days I am doing good to hit 1000 calories; which I know isn't that healthy for me overall, but if I am not hungry it is hard for me to just go in the kitchen and eat because I am "supposed" to. I drink a cup of bulletproof coffee every morning for the most part and that does help up my calories a bit with the coconut oil in it; amazing stuff btw if you all haven't heard of it. The first time I read about it, I thought it sounded pretty gross lol. Until I tried it and was in heaven. It "supposedly" also helps lose weight so that was a plus also. I am also a notoriously late lunch eater, when I get around to it that is. Another one of those have to make myself eat meals. I figure though that as long as I am not gaining, and I am losing ; though slowly it seems, it is at least going in the right direction so I will take it.0
